


hold on to me cause I'm a little unsteady

by imadetheline



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Hurt Anakin Skywalker, Hurt/Comfort, Not Beta Read, Prompt Fill, Protective Ahsoka Tano, Protective Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27773860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadetheline/pseuds/imadetheline
Summary: They’d lost more than they gained. He feels sick to his stomach as the ship lifts into the air, kicking up sand and dust. It seeps through the closing doors and into his lungs. He coughs into his fist and tries not to think about the shaking in his limbs.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 16
Kudos: 177





	hold on to me cause I'm a little unsteady

**Author's Note:**

> title from unsteady by x ambassadors
> 
> Prompt: Okay so tcw family but like maybe one of them is sick has a cold or something and refuses to admit it and so the others force that person to rest and get better! Space family bonding time! 💙
> 
> This was written for the above prompt request by @songbird-wings on tumblr. Hope you like it Camilla! And go give her a follow cause she's amazing. If you guys have any other prompts shoot me an ask on my tumblr (linked at the bottom) and I'll do my best. Hope you enjoy!

The battle is finally over. Anakin sighs heavily as he steps onto the gunship. His eyes track across the dusty red planet, lingering on the injured clones being tended to and the still bodies covered in white that litter the field. This battle wasn’t worth it. They never are, but this was a Pyrrhic victory, and Anakin wishes they’d never come here. They’d lost more than they gained. He feels sick to his stomach as the ship lifts into the air, kicking up sand and dust. It seeps through the closing doors and into his lungs. He coughs into his fist and tries not to think about the shaking in his limbs.

He hasn’t slept or eaten in days. There’d been no time. There’s still no time. His men need to be taken care of. There will be numerous reports and things to iron out. His head pounds at the thought of it. 

<<<>>>

He steps off the transport onto the Resolute and lets out a breath, ignoring the way it makes his head spin. It’s the first time in weeks that the air hasn’t coated his throat in dust and blood. The harsh white lighting and grey walls are a stark contrast to the planet's reds and yellows below. He shivers as he exits the hangar. The planet had been a little too similar to Tatooine for his liking, but he’d almost forgotten the unwelcome chill of space. 

Ahsoka and Obi-wan should be leaving for the Resolute soon. Anakin had checked in with them after taking the planet. They’d taken a separate base and were finishing up there before joining him on the Resolute. The thought of seeing them brings him some comfort, but he can’t shake the sinking feeling in his stomach.

He resolves to talk to Rex on the bridge to try to assuage the feeling. He doesn’t quite remember the trip from the hangar to the bridge until the door hisses open and Rex is turning towards him, but he pays it no mind. “General, we’re almost done planetside. General Kenobi and Commander Tano are headed up now, and most troops are on board. We should be able to leave within the hour. The council has also asked to speak with you and General Kenobi when he arrives,” Rex says, all business.

Anakin almost winces. The only reason they’re almost ready to leave is they’ve lost almost half their troops. And it’s his fault. “Thank you, Rex,” is all he says. 

And he truly is grateful for Rex’s thoroughness, especially now, when he can feel the sadness and grief radiating off the man. His guilt sparks again, and he almost tells Rex to get some rest, but the captain speaks first, “General, Kix wants to check you over.” 

He freezes for a fraction of a second, and then he’s pulling up a smile, “I’m fine, Rex, and there are others who actually need it.” Rex doesn’t say anything, but Anakin can feel his suspicious stare through the helmet. He groans internally, cursing Obi-wan’s influence on his captain, and sighs, “I’ll check in with him once we’re in hyperspace.” Rex seems to concede to this, turning back to a report, and Anakin quickly makes his exit.

He almost runs into R2 as he turns a corner towards his quarters, stumbling back. His vision flashes black for a second, and he reaches for the wall. It’s cold, even through his gloves, and he shakes his head, trying to clear his vision. That only makes the pain in his head spike. R2 beeps angrily. Anakin reaches for the droid blindly, eyes closed tightly against the pain radiating through his body. He pats R2’s dome, “Sorry, buddy. Wasn’t watching where I was going.” His limbs shake, and R2 beeps questioningly. Finally, his vision clears, the black fading to the edges, and he pushes off the wall. “It’s okay. Go check in with Ahsoka. She should be in the hangar. She can give you a good polish.” R2 seems to hesitate but, “Go on,” and he’s rolling off through the halls.

Anakin lets out a shaky breath that turns into a hacking cough before recovering himself enough to walk down the still empty hallway. His exhaustion is calling to him as he passes by his quarters and their promise of rest. He brushes by it, calling on the force to steady his movements and dull the pain in his head. It seems to work, but it does nothing for the chill under his skin. He can’t seem to adjust to the ship's freezing temperatures after so long in a desert. He ignores the other more likely possibility. He isn’t sick.

He makes his way to the secondary hangar. He knows Obi-wan and Ahsoka are landing in the primary one, and he also knows they’d force him to the medbay on sight. He doesn’t need it, and he can do more here anyway.

The ships landing here are full of wounded because it’s closer to the medbay. There are medics scattered around the last ships, scanning the injured clones and cataloging injuries, but not enough. Red and white and sand and explosions flash before Anakin’s vision. They’ve lost so many.

He pushes the growing ache in his body away and takes his familiar spot by the door of one of the transports. The clones are familiar with this habit of his, and those carrying wounded start bringing them to him. There aren’t enough medics, and it’s always faster for him to probe them with the force than it is to use scanners, so he always does his best to help after battles. He finds the source of the injury and relays it to a medic who can then make sure the clone gets the proper care faster. It’s a routine his men have become accustomed to. He only wishes he could do more.

The force is harder to call, seeping away from him, as he uses it to scan his men instead of pushing away the pain in his limbs. He doesn’t care. There are so many injured, and it’s his fault, his fault, his fault. It echoes in his head, pulsing in time with his thudding heartbeat and the pain in his head. The clones are a blur of blue and red and white in his mind.

He hears faintly as if through water, “Sir, the general and commander are looking for you. They’re headed this way.” He tries to nod, but his muscles aren’t responding. He distantly feels his knees buckle and hit metal. He curses his traitorous body and reaches for the force, tugging on it weakly, the sound of a shout in the distance. The force flows away from his reaching hand, and he swears it’s laughing at him.

But then there’s a hand on his cheek, pulling him back. It’s cold against his skin. He hadn’t even realized he was burning. It tilts his chin up, and he sees blue, “Master?” It’s a hoarse whisper before that dizzying darkness pulls his weak form down, down.

<<<>>>

He hears voices floating somewhere beyond his comprehension, but the force is reaching for him and that he can understand as it whispers of concern and safety and sadness. The sadness is what pulls him from the comfortable darkness. The voices stop as his consciousness flickers and returns, his eyes struggling to open.

And then there’s light flooding his senses, and he blinks, trying to bring his surroundings into focus. Ahsoka’s leaning over him, her markings creased in concern. He can feel his prosthetic hand clasped in her grip, and he draws up the strength to squeeze her fingers lightly. Her answering smile is worth it for the reminder of the pain the movement brings.

“We were so worried about you, Master,” she says as his eyes drift across their surroundings. He’s clearly been taken to the medbay, and his stomach clenches. Someone else is sure to need this bed. Why did they bring him here?

“I’m fine, Snips. Just a little tired,” he says, already pushing himself up off the stark white sheets, ignoring the tremors in his arms, and swinging his legs over the side of the cot.

Ahsoka opens her mouth, shock clearly visible, but before she can protest, the medbay door is hissing open, and Obi-wan walks through, followed closely by Rex. Anakin suppresses a groan. There’s no way he’s getting out of here now. But not for lack of trying as he pushes himself off the bed. 

His knees start to buckle again, and he wants to scream in frustration, but then Obi-wan is there, arms wrapping around him and heaving him backward into the bed, and as if that wasn’t enough, Ahsoka reaches forward and pushes him back into the pillows. He starts to protest, but Ahsoka cuts him off, “He tried to say he was just a little tired.” Anakin glares at her, and she smiles innocently back. 

Slowly, his eyes drift to Obi-wan’s prepared for anger. Instead, he’s met with exhaustion and sadness, and his guilt rises, choking him. “Anakin, you’re suffering from acute exhaustion and,” he thinks he hears a mumbled ‘as if that wasn’t bad enough’ before he finishes, “a mild sickness.” 

His head drops back to the pillows, unable to meet the disappointment he knows is in his master’s eyes. Why isn’t he stronger? Even now, he can feel that unescapable chill in his bones. He wants to rage against it, but he feels tired, so tired. He feels Obi-wan’s hand come to rest on his arm, “Anakin, you pushed yourself too far this time. I talked to the council, and you’re on medical leave for the next two weeks.”

His head shoots up at that, sending a spike of pain down his spine, but he grits his teeth, disbelief painted across his pale features, “What? No, master, I’m fine, really. A day of rest and I’ll be good as new.”

And there’s the anger Anakin had expected as Obi-wan speaks, “No, Anakin. Kix has assessed you, and we have agreed this is the best option.” His voice softens, exhaustion and concern coloring it, and says, “You deserve rest, Anakin.” Ahsoka’s hand finds its way back to his and squeezes the metal fingers of his prosthetic.

He flinches, and he knows they see it, another weakness he couldn’t keep hidden. His gaze falls away from their concerned faces, “No, my men need rest. I need to-”

Ahsoka cuts him off again, “Master, your men are resting, and you need it too.”

Rex interjects too, stepping forward from where he’d been observing in the back, “Everything’s taken care of, General. You got us through this battle and now what the men need is for you to rest and regain your strength.”

Obi-wan finishes, “Before your body shuts down again, please, Anakin, rest.”

It sounds reasonable when they say it, but something in him is still protesting. His body is losing the battle to stay conscious though, seemingly deciding for him. His head hits the pillows again, and he grits out, “Fine, two weeks. That’s it.” 

He feels the relief and warmth radiating from his master and padawan. It soothes the protesting part of him. He hears, “We’ll be right here, Master,” as his vision fades. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you guys liked it leave a comment. They make my day! Seriously I love reading them so please leave me one cause they motivate me to write more! if you guys have ideas for other one-shots send me an ask on tumblr [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imadetheline) or just yell about stuff with me. Info about me and all my other tumblrs are [here](https://infoabtmaddie.carrd.co/#)


End file.
